Coal is the key ingredient in the resources pie feeding the growing economies of Asia and Churchill Mining is set to play a big role in the supply of this ingredient with its East Kutai Coal Project in Indonesia.

Concentrate production and ramp-up of steady-state production has started at Pan Australian’s Phu Kham Copper-Gold Operation in Laos .

Pan Australian anticipates making its first sale of concentrate by the end of May through the delivery of 5000 tonnes of concentrate to its storage facility ahead of shipment to a Chinese smelter.

After being awarded Petroleum Exploration Licences for two of the three coal bed methane blocks awarded in late 2006 during the CBM III licence round, Arrow Energy is about to start drilling.

The licences are for the Raj Mahal Block in the State ofJharkhand and for the Tatapani-Ramkola block in the State ofChhattisgarh

Churchill Mining’s initial target of 100 million tonnes at the East Kutai Coal Project in East Kalimantan, Indonesia has been exceeded by 150%, with total coal resources to date being 250 million tonnes.

The initial resource for East Kutai comprises a measured resource of 44 million tonnes, an indicated resource of 73 million tonnes and an inferred resource of 133 million tonnes.

Asia Thai Mining (ATM) will buy African exploration company Pan African Mining and its highly prospective Madagascar properties.

Before completion of the transaction Pan African will establish a new entity, called NewCo, and transfer to it $2.5 million in cash as well as its non-Madagascar subsidiaries, PAM Botswana, PAM Minerals Namibia and PAM Macambique Limitada.

Kentor Gold is shifting drilling focus to its Savoyardy Prospect in the Kyrgyz Republic where it is expected to begin drilling by the end May.

Kentor’s managing director Simon Milroy says preparations have been made at the site during the northern winter including rehabilitating the existing exploration adits, installing services and preparing drill cuddies.

Royalco Resources is Mining Aust-AsiaConference bronze sponsor. The conference will be held on July 15 and 16 Brisbane. Royalco Resources managing director Peter Topham will present the topic: ‘Sovereign risk inSouth East Asia- an explorer's perspective’ and update the latest developments with Royalco Resources.

Kalimantan Gold Corporation has started deep drilling at its Jelai epithermal gold property in East Kalimantan as part of a 4000 metre drill program.

The deep drilling will follow up the results of the ongoing scout drilling program that has to date seen 37 holes drilled for 2767 metres.

Redbank Mines is confident of beginning production within 12 months at the Redbank Copper Project in the Northern Territory .

The company has taken a key step towards the low-capital development of the project by lodging a Notice of Intent with the authorities.

A positive scoping study for Brockman Resources’ Marillana Iron Ore Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia has prompted the company to undertake a pre-feasibility study which is expected to be completed during 2009.

A high grade drill intercept from the Fossey Zone in Tasmania has strengthened Bass Metals’ belief that this area has the potential to make a significant contribution to the mineral resource inventory at the Hellyer Mine Project

The businesses of PT Fluidcon Jaya and Atlas Copco Indonesia ’s Construction and Mining Division have been merged in a partnership.

While the products and services sold are different, the business strategy and activities of both companies have many similarities and synergies.

Kalimantan Gold has made two appointments to its senior team with Dr Peter Pollard becoming the company’s technical adviser and Gerald Cheyne the UK representative.

Southern Arc Minerals has appointed Andrew Rowe as chief geologist.

Andrew Rowe graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Geology from the University of Technology , Sydney , Australia in 1993.

China National Gold Group Corporation will purchase Ivanhoe Mines’ controlling stake of Jinshan Gold Mines for Can$218 million.

China Gold is China’s largest state-owned gold producing enterprise and upon finalizing the transaction will replace Ivanhoe Mines as Jinshan’s largest shareholder with 42%.

Jinshan believes the presence of China’s largest gold producer will create new opportunities for strategic associations in support of Jinshan’s ambitions to expand its asset base through global acquisition, and the ongoing consolidation and optimization of the Chinese gold industry.

European Minerals Corporation (EMC) will acquire Lero Gold in a move that will create regional consolidation and a growth company focused on Kazakhstan and other Asian countries of the former Soviet Union.

Reverse circulation drilling at the Jambi oxide gold deposit on Finders Resources’ Ojalali Project in Indonesia confirms the continuity of low grade gold mineralization in the central mineralized zone.

Mindoro Resources has completed its purchase of Panoro Minerals’ 40% stake in a package of properties in the Surigao Gold District of Northern Mindanao, the Philippines.

As well as the sale itself, involving $1.25 million in cash and 1 million Mindoro shares, in the event that the nickel laterite prospect on the Agata project should proceed to production and upon shipment of an aggregate one million tonnes of nickel laterite, Mindoro will pay Panoro $500,000 plus an additional $500,000 payment on the first anniversary of the shipment.

Korea has gained exclusive exploration rights to develop mineral resources in a 20,000sqkm area within the exclusive economic sea zone of the South Pacific island nation of Tonga.

Sino Gold Mining Limited has donated Aus $100,000 in essential equipment to the China earthquake relief effort.

The company’s operations and workforce in China have not been directly affected by the country’’s devastating earthquake disaster.

Leyshon Resources has entered into a contract for installation of a 16km 35KV power line for the Zheng Guang Gold Zinc Project in Heilongjiang north-east China.

The total cost of the dedicated high voltage overhead transmission power line is RMB2.8 million (US$390,000). It will provide 13MW of electrical power from State Grid, the provincial power authority, and has the capacity to be increased to more than 20MW.

The maiden inferred resource estimate for Breakaway Resources’ the Horn Nickel Sulphide Deposit in Western Australia shows 600,000 tonnes @ 1.39% nickel and 0.3% copper for 8300 tonnes of contained nickel and 1800 tonnes of contained copper.

A major regional exploration program has been initiated in a bid to complement the resource extension drilling program, at the Jack Hills Iron Ore Project in the mid west of Western Australia.

China’s largest nickel producer Jinchuan Group is securing an 11% stake in Western Australian nickel explorer and producer Fox Resources.

The Four Mile Uranium Project joint venture will shortly apply for a mining lease over the South Australian project and is targeting late 2009 for the start of mining.

Alliance Resources says that its joint venture partner and project manager, Quasar Resources, intends to apply for a mining lease rather than a retention lease as originally contemplated.

Marino Pieterse is the editor of Uraniumletter International. He has prepared a special report on Toro Energy. Uraniumletter International is the international independent information and advice bulletin for uranium resource investments. The ASIA Miner presents Uraniumletter International’s report on Toro Energy. More information about Uraniumletter is available at www.goldletterint.com or e-mail: [email protected]

Toro Energy managing director Greg Hall will be presenting at The ASIA Miner Investing in Mining Conference on July 15 and 16 in Brisbane.
For more information on the conference    click here

Regent Pacific Group has appointed Dacre Purchase as chief operating officer of the group’s coal division.

Mindoro Resources has made some additions to the management team of its Philippine operating subsidiary, MRL Gold Phils.

Alan Buenavista has been appointed exploration manager. He is an accomplished geologist with 25 years of mineral exploration experience in the Philippines.

Electrical Equipment wanted to purchase for 2 new ball mills and new concentrator plant construction

Background:

Our client is purchasing 2 x 18 foot in diameter by 30 feet long ball mills with an installed power of 5.5 MW for a new mineral project

Our client is in the process of designing and building a concentrator plant to process ROM material that has a bond work index of 14) which will be commissioned at the end of 2009.

They have a conventional MF1 circuit and plan to treat the Run of Mine material through crushers to produce a nominal minus 100mm material, which will then be fed into two primary ball mills with an installed power of 5.5MW each.

These mills will reduce the ore to minus 75 microns. The headfeed to the crushers will be 500 tons per hour and then to each primary mill, 250 tons per hour.

WANTED to BUY

Mill Motors - Medium Voltage 11kV 3 phase squirrel cage and wound rotor

Performance

•  Motor shall be manufactured for continuous running duty type S1 with a rating class for continuous duty. The rated output of the motor shall be given in the data sheet.
•  The number of poles and synchronous speed shall be given in the data sheet.
•  The motor shall be capable of carrying 150% of rated current for 2 minutes when running at the rated voltage and frequency.
• The motor breakdown or maximum torque developed between standstill and rated speed shall not be less than 1,6 times the rated torque with rated voltage and rated frequency applied.
• The motor shall be capable of withstanding an excess torque of 1,6 times the rated torque for a period of 15 seconds without stalling or an abrupt change in speed.
• Full load slip shall not exceed 2% of the rated synchronous speed.
• The motor is to be suitable for use on either a solidly earthed or resistive earthed system. A resistive earthed system will be limited to 350 Amp for 30 seconds through a neutral earthing compensator resistor.
•  The motor insulation systems shall have a thermal classification of Class F in accordance with the requirements of SABS IEC 60085 and be suitable for operating at any altitude up to 1650 metres above sea level with an ambient air temperature of 40C. The temperature rise shall not exceed Class B minus 10C (stator temperature 70K rise by resistance) when tested at nominal voltage, frequency and rating in accordance with SABS IEC 60034-2 and SABS IEC 60034-2A at an ambient temperature of 40C and corrected for 1650 masl.

Switchgear 11000v

• Single bus-bar 11000v 25kA 95kV BIL metalclad withdrawable modular switchgear.
• Bus-bar rating 2000A
• Incomers 2000A
• Bus-section panel with joggle chamber to be equipped with Fire-wall bus-trunking 1400mm long either side of panel. 2000A. 25kA 95kA BIL
• Feeder panels 800A 25kA 95kA BIL
• PFC feeder panel 25kA 95kA BIL
• All protection relays to be of the electronic pattern. Incomers to be fitted with Enermax or equal power management relay.

Distribution Transformers

•  Oil cooled distribution transformers 11000/550v Dyn11, free breathing, built to IEC 76/SABS 780, complete with MV & LV cable boxes, skid under-base, oil conservator and silica gel breather
•  Fitted with Buchholz relay, dial thermometer and marshalling box
•  LV neutrals to be external and transformer supplied with an NER of 63.5 ohms
•  Sizes required are: 2000kVA (7 off), 1600kVA (3 off) and 630kVA (1 off)

Mini-substations

•  MV compartment
•  SF6 Ring Main Unit (Merlin & Gerin preferred) complete with VIP35 protection relay or equal, Elastimold connectors (if required) and neon indication on both ring switches cable side.

Transformer

Three phase 11000/550/400v Dyn11yn11, ONAN, sealed transformer built to IEC 76/SABS 780

LV compartment

•  Complete with main MCCB and Tertiary MCCB, MDI ammeters and CTs, one voltmeter and fuses, busbars, wiring, labels & statutory signs

Sizes and quantity required

1 x 315kVA(11000/550v) + 50kVA(400v)

1 x 200kVA(11000/550v)+ 50kVA(400v)

Also as above but transformer as follows:-

1 x 630kVA 11000/400v

2 x 315kVA 11000/400v

1 x 315kVA 11000/550v

Contact:

Kim Cox

Melbourne, Australia

Phone: +61 422811261

Fax: +61 3 9816 9048

email: [email protected]

Skype: kimcox640

www.asiaminer.com

Mining at the Sorowar pit at Allied Gold’s Simberi Gold Project in Papua New Guinea will begin this month.

Early mining will provide the bulk of the mill feed for the stage 1 Simberi Oxide Gold Project, which will produce an average 84,000 ounces of gold per year over a current 8 year mine life. Ore from Sorowar will be delivered by the RopeCon aerial conveyor.

East Asia Minerals is continuing to firm up prospects at its Abong jasperoid prospect in Aceh Province, Indonesia, with a quick-paced drill campaign producing gold-bearing intercepts.

The results from the shallow dipping, near-surface prospect, come as the company plans a year-end resource estimate.

An ongoing diamond drilling program at Medusa Mining’s Co-O Gold Project in the Philippines continues to extend the vein system.

The company has now drilled about 1000 metres along strike and about 200 metres across strike.

The underground development program is advancing at Ivanhoe Mines’ high-grade Hugo Dummett North Deposit in preparation for production. The deposit is part of the company’s Oyu Tolgoi Copper-Gold Project in Mongolia.

Marino Pieterse is the editor of Goldletter International. He has prepared a special report on Leyshon Resources. Goldletter International is the international independent information and advice bulletin for gold and related investments. The ASIA Miner presents Goldletter International’s report on Leyshon Resources. More information about Goldletter is available at www.goldletterint.com or e-mail [email protected]

By Matthew Piggott, Metals Analyst, GFMS

Having held the position as leader in world gold production since 1905, South Africa lost the golden crown to China in 2007.

The last five years have seen consecutive declines in South Africa and current production is nowhere near that seen at the peak in 1970 when the country accounted for two thirds of global mine supply.

Marino Pieterse is the editor of Goldletter International. He has prepared a special report on Jinshan Gold Mines. Goldletter International is the international independent information and advice bulletin for gold and related investments. The ASIA Miner presents Goldletter International’s report on Jinshan Gold Mines. More information about Goldletter is available at www.goldletterint.com or e-mail [email protected]

Jinshan Gold Mines is building one of the largest gold mines in China through its 96.5% owned Changshan Hao (CSH) Gold Mine in Inner Mongolia.

Nautilus Minerals has awarded a US$116 million contract to Technip USA to provide the Riser and Lifting System (RALS) components for its Solwara 1 gold and copper project in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea.

It is fitting that RUD Erlau plays a key part in the process that produces the steel that goes into the making of its renowned round-link TPCs.

Perth-based company TNG Limited has reinforced the credentials of its Manbarrum Lead-Zinc-Silver Project in the Northern Territory after unveiling a major increase in the total JORC resource inventory.

The molybdenum/copper resource at Moly Mines’ Spinifex Ridge Project in Western Australia has more than doubled.

Australian Mines has resumed resource definition drilling at its Blair Deeps prospect in Western Australia with the initial target being a high grade shoot.

The drilling is being undertaken below current workings at the Blair Nickel Mine, 32km from Kalgoorlie.

Gindalbie Metals has appointed Geoff Wedlock to the board as a non-executive director.

The appointment comes at a pivotal period in the company’s development as it sets about bringing its flagship $1.8 billion Karara Iron Ore Project into production with initial hematite production in 2009, followed by magnetite production in 2010.

Grange Resources has appointed Russell Clark as its new managing director and chief executive officer.

A book written by Indian engineering and mine planning expert Dr Jayanta Bhattacharya discusses the elements of modern mine planning while emphasizing the need for their integration in the minerals business.

Drilling in the northern extremity of East Asia Minerals’ Binebase Prospect at the Sangihe Property, Indonesia, has extended the near-surface epithermal gold mineralization.

Highlands Pacific’s Ramu Nickel-Cobalt Project in Papua New Guinea is about to move into the large scale construction and operational phase.

Development and construction at Asian Mineral Resources’ Ban Phuc Nickel-Copper Project in Vietnam are proceeding at full speed with production expected in early 2009

Earthworks for the processing plant construction are on schedule and preliminary works associated with construction of the tailings storage facility have started. Concrete works for the plant will start in May.

Initial leaching tests on coal ash from the Lincang germanium area in Yunnan Province, China, have returned very encouraging results for Sparton Resources.

Using sulphuric and nitric acid leaching tests, the amount of uranium recovered into solution from small samples of ash taken from the Tianhao waste piles varied from 70-80%.

WITH production of gossan ore from TVI Pacific’s Canatuan Mine in the Philippines winding down, the company is examining alternatives for the further extraction of gold and silver.

Initial drilling at the Hutabargot Julu prospect in Oropa Limited’s 75%-owned Pungkut Gold Project in Sumatra, Indonesia, has confirmed the potential for a major epithermal gold system.

Mindoro Resources is continuing to fast-track the Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) scenario for its Agata North nickel laterite project in the Philippines with the objective of achieving production later this year.

Drilling in the north-west extremity of Southern Arc Minerals’ Montong Botek copper-gold porphyry target at its Selodong Intrusive Complex on Lombok, Indonesia, has returned the longest mineralized intercept to date.

Mincor Resources has reaped almost immediate benefits from acquisition of the Bluebush Line tenement package with an estimate for the Stockwell and Grimsby prospects indicating a mineral resource of almost 21,000 tonnes of nickel metal.

A maiden resource estimate of 47 million tonnes grading 53.6% iron has been received for the Bonnie Creek Channel Iron Deposit (CID) at BC Iron’s Nullagine Iron Ore Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

InterMet Resources has signed a joint venture with Eromanga Uranium to further explore its Abminga Project in South Australia.

Marengo Mining has appointed former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu to its Board as a non-executive director.

Southern Gold has appointed Greg Boulton as a non executive director and company chairman.